Find out what’s going on in the RFH Regional High School and Rumson and Fair Haven school districts.
The Fair Haven School District marked its recent Week of Respect with activities and new initiatives designed to encourage kindness and acceptance.
The state-mandated week-long designation, featuring respect-inspired activities from Oct. 5 to 9, showcased Laraine Gaunt at Viola L. Sickles School on the first day. Gaunt kicked off new yearlong initiative dubbed It’s OK 2B Different.
In case you hadn’t heard or weren’t there, the Fair Haven School District’s annual Harvest Fest was held, despite the threatening weather forecast, last weekend, but in a slightly different venue — the all-purpose room at Knollwood School.
It was a motivational moment for Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School’s female athletes — specifically, soccer players.
Three-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion Christie Rampone on Monday made an appearance at a team practice at Rumson’s Meadowridge Field East.
During an informal session, Rampone described participation in high school soccer as a “privilege.”
Continue reading Lessons Learned by RFH Girls Soccer Team from Olympian Christie Rampone
First graders at Fair Haven’s Sickles School were recently taught a potentially life-saving lesson, thanks to the efforts of three community volunteers.
On Sept. 17, Beverly Cochrane-Maguire and Richard Eisenbeis, both of the Volunteers In Sheriff’s Community Programs (VISCOMP) at the Monmouth County Police Academy, visited the elementary school classrooms along with county Sheriff’s Office intern Chris Wolcott to instruct students in what’s dubbed Seek 911 protocol.
The students were taught:
• how to decide if a situation warrants a 911 emergency call;
• different types of emergencies (fire, medical, and police);
• types of phones that can be used to call 911;
• and the questions that will be asked by a 911 operator.
The students viewed a short video and then placed practice 911 calls with the assistance of the volunteers.
— Edited release from the Fair Haven School District
Rumson mom LuAnn Hughes attended author Harlan Cohen’s talk presentation at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) Tuesday night.
Centered on his book The Naked Roommate (about getting comfortable with the uncomfortable in the college transition), it was designed to help college-bound students and their families.
She posted her takeaway on the speaker’s salient message on Facebook.
Here’s what the mom of teens, also a teacher, got out of the talk and shared with friends …
“It’s important to know what YOU want and stop living for what others expect from you.
“Transitions are hard. There are 5 aspects to pay attention to: social, emotional, physical, financial, academic.
“We need to focus more on people, places and having patience to get comfortable with the uncomfortable.
“Universal Rejection Truth: There will be times you lose, attempts you fail, people that don’t give you what you want. If you ignore the universal rejection truth you will spend your time hating, hiding, fighting, attacking and blaming others.
“If you face the truth you will have the strength and resilience to do what you’re meant to do because you’re not afraid to take risks.
You have to be able to take rejection to take risk after risk. Risk taking is what helps you grow.
“Don’t take critical feedback as an attack. Being able to take rejection is the key to people being able to help you.
“Rules:
1. Get comfortable with the uncomfortable. Embrace the fact that this is going to be difficult.
2. When you panic, think of your people, places and patience. Don’t panic and hang out with the wrong people. You have to have YOUR people and places.
3. Your kids struggles belong to them but the victories belong to you (lol). The challenge is that we are so connected through technology that it’s hard to set boundaries. Consider letting your child marinate in their misery.
4. Advise your child to apply “the 24 hour rule” whenever anything traumatic happens. Clarity will come. Be patient.
5. Get in the habit of asking your child “What do you think you should do?” If answer is “I don’t know” ask about who his 5 people and 3 places are. It takes a good 8 weeks to adjust (patience).
“With 30% of college students facing depression, how do you know when to stop letting your child marinate in their misery?
“Make sure they have their people, give your kids permission to be imperfect before they get there, let them fail.
“Make sure they understand that the first 8 weeks are hard.
“If you’re really worried and your child is showing signs of suicide (2nd leading cause of death among college kids) you go and check and intervene.
“Give your kids permission to struggle, to face adversity and to get over it.
“Places: Look for where you can sweat, play, pray, learn, lead.
People: People who volunteer to help, people you pay to help.
“College is about what YOU want not about who wants you.”
Text college to 44144 for roommate contract.
Good luck parents and college freshmen!
When AP Biology students at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) thought outside the box recently, they created a winning situation for all involved.
Faced with the task of completing an end-of-year project, the students embraced a novel idea suggested by their teacher Valerie Kilar — to share what they had learned with students in kindergarten through third grade at nearby Deane-Porter School in Rumson.
“My six-year-old daughter Madelyn is a student at Deane-Porter, and she enjoys attending events at the high school with me and interacting with the ‘big’ kids,” said Kilar. “Since the end-of-year project should be something fun and meaningful, I thought it would be perfect if my students created science books and taught lessons to the students at Deane-Porter.”
Kilar contacted Madelyn’s Kindergarten teacher, Gina Varanelli, about organizing the visit. Varanelli worked out the logistics and connected Kilar with other teachers at the school.
The RFH students worked in groups to create lesson plans and produce books describing scientific terms and processes in a way that could be comprehended by elementary school students.
The participating RFH students and their assignments …
• Jack Luby and Jackson Reid – Venus Fly Trap, Shellie Miller’s kindergarten class
• Willie Freeman – Litter/Pollution, Brooke Huff’s kindergarten class
• Oliver Heins, Ted Schroeder, and Chris Tuttle – Butterfly Metamorphosis, Sara Stanziola’s kindergarten class
• Jen Andreacchi – Biomes, Karen Newman’s Kindergarten Class
• Robin Green and Emma Paulus – Symbiosis, Gina Varanelli’s kindergarten class
• Charlotte Miller and Fini Satzke – Genetic Traits, Carissa Azzaro’s first grade class
• Abigael Donohue and Olivia Rosenberg – Clouds, Bridget Albrizio’s second grade class
• Jessica Browne and Jackie Kho – Food Chains, Keri Lecorchick’s second grade class
• Shea Davis and Sean Dunphy – Astronomy, Colleen Henrikson’s second grade class
• Tristan Kilper, Noah Tucker, and Brianna Worobel – Water Cycle, Ken Grasso’s second grade class
• Clara Eskwitt – Levels of the Ocean, Jill Cox’s third grade class
• Katherine Hill, Megan Klem, and Campbell Lee – Challenges for Living Things, Megan Manney’s third grade class
Kilar hopes to make the event an annual collaboration.
“I am proud of all the thought and creativity the RFH students put into their children’s books and lessons,” said Kilar.
— Rumson School District press release
Did you make it to the Forrestdale Evening of Fine Arts?
Here’s a look back at the art show and concert held on the evening of May 28:
Artwork by students in fourth through eighth grade filled the school, with three-dimensional work in the lobby and cafeteria and framed works lining the halls.
“The artwork is amazing, and I would especially like to thank the Parent Teacher Organization and Rumson Education Foundation for recognizing the importance of art in our children’s education,” said Forrestdale Visual Arts Instructor Amy Lepping. “I would also like to extend a special thank you to Art Club members Pia Binns, Sophia Kho, Isabella Hu, and Shelly Champeau who help organize and prepare artwork for display.”
“I would also like to thank all of our tireless volunteers!”
The evening’s Concert held in the school auditorium featured Junior Choir and Senior Choir directed by Forrestdale Music Teacher Barbara Leutz, and Beginning Band and Jazz Ensemble directed by Forrestdale Music Teacher John Lebitsch.
Musical performances …
• America (featuring Hannah Duprey, Piano) – Junior Choir
• Scales and Arpeggios (from The Aristocats) – Junior Choir
• Imagine – Junior Choir
• Yellow Submarine – Junior Choir
• E.F.A. Fanfare – Beginning Band
• When the Band Goes Marching In – Beginning Band
• Hard Rock Blues – Beginning Band
• Lightning! – Senior Choir
• It’s Only a Paper Moon – Jazz Ensemble
• Get Back – Jazz Ensemble
— Rumson School District press release
In case you missed it, the Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) Junior Awards were presented in mid-June.
The list of awards, honoring students’ academic success, character, service and leadership qualities, and recipients is as follows …
It’s a tradition. The Fair Haven School District celebrates the transition of students from third to fourth grade — from Viola L. Sickles to Knollwood School.
This year was no exception. It happened on June 11 and here’s how it went:
Teachers and students from Viola L. Sickles School cheered from the sidelines on Willow Street as the third graders began their journey on bicycles and the big red trolley.
Escorted by members of the Fair Haven School District staff and administration, as well as eighth-grade peer leaders, the students headed toward Knollwood School on Hance Road. They were greeted along the way by many well-wishers holding signs and shouting encouragement.
“I love seeing all of the students begin their transition to a new school, just as I did when I was a third grader,” Knollwood School Peer Leader Grace Geiger said.
At Knollwood School the third graders attended a brief assembly hosted by Principal Kevin Davis, learned about the school’s music program, and were given a tour by the eighth grade Peer Leaders.
“This is such a wonderful tradition,” said Davis. “It’s always so much fun to greet the incoming students at Sickles School and bring them over to Knollwood.”
— Fair Haven School District press release
Students in the Fair Haven School District achieved several distinctions in the 2014-15 school year; and, they were recognized for all by the Board of Education.
The accomplishments were all outlined in an early June ceremony by Superintendent Nelson Ribon and Knollwood School Principal Kevin Davis with a little pizza party on the side.
Continue reading Looking Back at Fair Haven Students’ Honors for 2014-15
Rumson third graders have taken the traditional Movin’ On Up trek from Deane-Porter to Forrestdale School.
It’s a transitional event filled with symbolism.
Here’s how it went …
Continue reading ‘Movin’ on Up’ from Deane-Porter to Forrestdale
The Knollwood School Class of 2015 has graduated.
Though there are some things you may or may not know about the students in the graduating class, the June 18 ceremony at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School itself and honors awarded.
Here are some of those Knollwood graduation facts …
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